True Sight

Are you one of the many people who are visual learners? If so, you’re not alone – most are! That’s true in all forms of learning, including in faith. Many people followed Jesus because of what they saw him do.

Jesus said to Thomas after His resurrection, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). But Thomas wasn’t the only one to struggle with doubting that Jesus was truly the king.

It’s been an ongoing struggle that many people have to deal with – believing without seeing it first. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” And as followers of our king, it is imperative that we “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Otherwise, we can easily be duped into believing something of this realm is more important than the kingdom of God.

Many have failed to be able to see who God really is. Eve was the first to fail at believing that God was all she needed. But “we’ve all done wrong and fail to see the glory of God’s standard” (Romans 3:23). But just like in Eve’s case, there’s someone always “prowling around like a roaring lion” who wants us to stay blind. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “if our gospel is unrecognizable, it is unrecognizable to those who are perishing. The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Blind Bartimaeus saw it, even though he was blind! In Luke 18:35-43 is this amazing story of a blind man who gained sight, but he really already had spiritual sight. When he heard that Jesus was coming through town, he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

He understood what the Apostles would later try to help the crowds “see” that Jesus was truly the heir to the throne that David spoke of in Psalms 110, “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion…”

The scriptures constantly reveal the power of God and the authority of Christ (Messiah) to us so that we can truly live by faith. But we, like Bartimaeus, must trust God’s plan even if we are in the midst of a storm.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Not Power but Humility

Lord Acton, a noble of Groppoli, wrote this in a letter to a priest at the end of the 19th century: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men...” Acton was pointing out an inherent danger of obtaining power, prestige, and popularity – pride!

Paul said of the hunger for money in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” As you read that verse in context, Paul had been addressing the need to honor those leaders who work hard among you… “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” (Deuteronomy 25:4 and Leviticus 19:13). But ultimately he was addressing the risky position of “desiring the office of overseer” both for those who follow their leadership and those who lead. Power is a sensitive quality to claim.

Jesus had already described the kind of leader that was worthy in God’s eyes. He said after He washed the disciples’ feet in John 13:13-16, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” He had said earlier in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

In Luke 18:10-14, Jesus tells a parable of two men: Pharisee and a tax-collector. As we’ study through Luke, we can see how much attention Jesus gives towards the arrogance of those who “think” they are the righteous ones. They thought of themselves as the religiously powerful ones, which would prove to be their failing.

Seriously consider the point Jesus is making in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)… “Blessed are the: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted because of righteousness… for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The power of God isn’t in worldly power but in humility. 

The Persistent Widow

Imagine it’s your first day of work at your new job. You get up early, get ready, head out the door, only to find your tire on your car is flat! In a desperate attempt to change it without getting dirty, you realize you can’t find your jack. Plan B. Call your neighbor and ask them if they’d be willing to take you to work, but you discover they are on vacation! So, you go another route; you call a friend across town and beg them to take you to work. The phone rings and rings, but…no answer! Finally, you call an acquaintance that you hope will be merciful to you and come pick you up. They agree, and you get your ride and show up with five minutes to spare.

In that scenario, the desperation drives you to do something you normally wouldn’t do: humble yourself and ask for help. Perhaps that scene is more real to you than you’d like to admit. When we are in a serious pinch, we tend to become bolder or more courageous.

As Jesus is describing the nature of God’s kingdom to His followers and the Pharisees, He shares the story of the Persistent Widow. It’s a story of a woman, all alone, needing something she can’t provide on her own. And Jesus reveals that it was her persistence that paid off.

In comparison, the Pharisees did not feel they were in a desperate situation. As far as they were concerned, they were a perfect example for the people. Just read Matthew 23:1-7 or verse 15, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Even Paul had considered himself to be a higher caliber of person before coming to Christ – Philippians 3:4-6.

Satan constantly points us in different directions to chase after things that make us feel secure, but ultimately, they are “meaningless!”, like the author of Ecclesiastes says. False security tends to kill perseverance. Perseverance is the fruit of hope as Paul writes in Romans 5:2-6, “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

God’s kingdom isn’t like the kingdoms of this world. Therefore, we find security in His power to make all things right in the end. That’s what the souls under the altar learned when the slaughtered lamb opened the Fifth Seal in Revelations 6:9-11. They learned they would need to wait on the Lord’s justice to avenge the wrongs they had faced. We have to do the same thing – be patient, trusting, “never give up in doing good” (Galatians 6:9).

Promised Kingdom

Could you walk away from your friends, your career, your faith if it went against God’s will? That’s a serious question that people all around the world throughout the centuries have had to ask. Jesus said in Matthew 16:26-27, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.”

Sin has a way of looking so sweet, so enticing, so easy and comfortable that it causes many to chase after it. In fact, John tells us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

The challenge is to recognize God’s way as superior to anything else offered to us. Is that easy? Not usually, but very worth it. Jesus told His disciples that His kingdom was prepared for people that know how to stay focused on the eternal (AKA–remain faithful). That kingdom is a beautiful promise that was made long ago, but we are still waiting for the full picture to be seen.

People like Noah and Moses faithfully prepared for and followed the pathway that would lead to God’s kingdom. We even see stories from the past that foreshadow the final coming of God’s kingdom–like the Exodus, or even Lot leaving Sodom. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4).

We’re told in Luke 17:32, “Remember Lot’s wife.” She had trouble leaving her past. In fact, her past consumed her, and she didn’t make it through the fiery trial her family faced. What about you? Are you facing a trial that seems too big to turn down, too hard to walk away? Find comfort in these words from 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Blessings in The Kingdom

It’s been my experience when I travel to a foreign country that I must look American. They just know it. What if God’s kingdom works like that? People know we’re part of God’s family by how we carry ourselves--what we say, how we say it, what we do, where we go, or where we don’t go.

Jesus indicated that we would be known by our love for others. John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.” Everyone will be able to see it!

Peter reminds early believers, in 1 Peter 2:12, “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

Our lifestyles tell a lot about the kingdom we are associated with. Paul wrote to the folks in Colossae about how to conduct themselves. Colossae was located in the tri-city region of the Lycus valley, known for its refreshing cold springs but also for its devastating earthquakes. In a place where both blessings and curses were recognized, it was important to live a life that reflected a blessing.

Colossians 3:12-14, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

These words were true for them as much as they are true for us. People may not always be convinced of what makes America great by reading the headlines, but when they get to know people that belong to the kingdom of God, I hope they see what a blessing really looks like! Be the light!